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Show ) GMNTlAND UNLKSS Jj.i.-i.ljii II In further Hl.TillllljIcd by VlllioUB illld Bllift- I lug di;ift codes and lefuhition.f, tliiTc; will lie, In addition U doner ruccM, inure tli;in a few w:irm con-lesln con-lesln on the Ihdividun nide. For example, such Kt.'irs as Mori Cooper, Spud Chandler, Hip Kewell, Whit Wyiilt and several others will have lighter hitting to faee on a fieri-eral fieri-eral average. Tn the same way the stronger hitters hit-ters from the two hie leagues will . y ' .. ; l A have somewhat softer pitching to. swing against, outside of the top men. So there is a good chance to bring bark a 30-game 30-game winner on the pitching side and a .400-hillcr on the batting side, which should help general Interest In-terest where the Individual plays Spud Chandler such an important part as long as he remains around the front of the parade. Mort Cooper and Spud Chandler, certainly two of the best as long as they remain on the scene, should be headed in the general direction of 30 winning games, for more often than not they will be facing pitchers well below their high levels. Each league should have enough outstanding pitchers to feature a season, always depending on the sweep of the draft broom which seems to change direction from week to week. I still think Chandler and Cooper are the two best, and they could be rated with the best in any season. Whit Wyatt belongs with either when he is physically right. Mort Cooper allowed only 1.77 earned runs in 1942 and Spud Chandler allowed only 1.64 of the same last season. This is pitching of a high degree. The Finest Pitching There are two men who, since 1912 when such earned run records were listed, head the long list with something some-thing to spare. And both were pretty fair country throwers. The leader is a fellow by the name of Grover Cleveland Alexander. Alex-ander. His runner-up was Walter Johnson. Here is Alexander's record of earned runs read it and wonder 1915 With Philadelphia 1.22. 1916 With Philadelphia 1.55. 1917 With Philadelphia 1.83. 1919 With Chicago (aftr serving in the army) 1.72. 1920 With Chicago 1.91. Here is an amazing pitching record rec-ord which included 16 shutouts in 1916. In 1913 Walter Johnson with Washington Wash-ington allowed 1.14 earned runs; in 1915, 1.55 earned runs; in 1918, 1.28 earned runs; and in 1919, 1.49 earned runs. Johnson had the best four years Alexander had the call at five seasons. I doubt very much that two greater pitchers ever threw a ball by hostile bats. As Johnny Evers told me once "Alexander was the only pitcher I ever faced who made me want to throw my bat away before I starred for the plate." Johnson had the blinding, blazing speed Alexander had the control and the cunning and both had great hearts. They worked for shutouts. If averages mean anything, here are your two greatest pitchers. Before and After a War There have been arguments back and forth about the comparative value val-ue of athletes, whatever the game, before and after a war' is over. What about Joe Louis, Joe DiMag-gio. DiMag-gio. Bob Feller, Ted Williams, Sammy Sam-my Snead, Ben Hogan, Billy Conn, etc.? - Suppose we look at the case of Grover Cleveland Alexander? Alexander Alex-ander broke in with the Phillies in 1911. He was 31 years old when he was called into army service, where he served abroad in 1918. And Old Pete had his share of rough service. Yet in 1919, after the war, 32 years old, his earned run average was 1.72 and at 33 he pitched 363 innings, a total of more than 40 ball games, with a mark fixed at 1.91. This is proof enough that those who had it will still have it left upon their return. Bob Feller, for example, won't be 26 until next November. Joe Di-Maggio Di-Maggio will be 30 in November. Ted Williams will be only 26 next October. Octo-ber. These, and many other stars with the luck to return, will have many big years left. Baseball in 1944 In addition to the demands of tht draft, the two major leagues have run into the worst training weathei of many years. But as Harry Greb told me once, "I get in shape by fighting." My angle is that if football, boxing, box-ing, basketball, hockey, indoor track and field, bowling and especiallj racing, facing a record season car get along, it would be something of a shock to find that baseball, tin so-called National Game couldn'i survive. |